With the summer transfer window in full flow, Aston Villa have made just one signing so far – Yasin Ozcan.
The Turkish youngster might not be the most exciting of signings, but aged 19, he is certainly one for the future.
With Unai Emery keen on ending the club’s near 30-year wait for a major trophy next season, bringing in several high-profile players is a priority.
Players such as John McGinn and Morgan Rogers helped the club secure a place in the Europa League next season. Could Emery potentially sign someone who is a hybrid of the two this summer?
Aston Villa transfer news
Villa have been linked with their fair share of attacking players this summer. Indeed, the likes of Jack Grealish, Nicolas Jackson and even Malick Fofana have been targeted by Emery.
Much will depend on the funds Villa have to spend, especially as they seek to comply with Profit and Sustainability regulations throughout the summer.
According to reports in Brazil, however, the club have made contact regarding a move for Porto winger Pepe, with it said they have opened talks for the 28-year-old.
The Portuguese giants are willing to sell him this summer in order to sign other targets, and a price tag of €25m (£21m) has been set. A more than affordable figure by Emery’s standards.
Both McGinn and Rogers enjoyed plenty of success last season and by signing Pepe in the coming weeks, Villa could be landing a player who is similar to both.
Why Aston Villa must sign Pepe
Last season, McGinn registered ten goal contributions for Villa, while Rogers recorded 29 goal involvements in all competitions for the club.
This highlights how vital the pair were. Both players excel at dribbling and playing through balls during matches, supporting Ollie Watkins incredibly well.
With McGinn staring on the left at times, with Rogers operating in a more central role, will Emery manage to sign a player like them for the right flank ahead of next season?
Pepe certainly fits the mould. According to FBref, Rogers is the ninth-most comparable player to the Porto winger, while McGinn is the seventh-most comparable when taking into account their statistics from the Champions League last term.
In this competition, he ranked in the top 16% for assists per 90 (0.31), while also ranking in the top 14% for tackles (1.86) per 90.
|
Pepe’s statistics for Porto (league only) |
|
|---|---|
|
Goals |
3 |
|
Assists |
2 |
|
Big chances created |
5 |
|
Key passes per game |
1 |
|
Successful dribbles per game |
0.6 |
|
Shots per game |
1 |
In comparison, McGinn recorded 0.25 assists and made 1.23 tackles per 90, while Rogers registered 0.18 assists and 0.79 tackles per 90 in the Champions League.
It is more the manner in which all three tend to have similar playing styles which could make a move for the winger an important one.
South American football expert Tim Vickery hailed the wideman a couple of years ago, saying: “I certainly remember him as a winger with Gremio, little mosquito kind of winger, who can do either flank.”
For the sort of fee Porto are demanding, bringing Pepe to the Midlands might be an interesting piece of business indeed.
An eye for goal while being able to create chances indicates that he could shine alongside players such as McGinn and Rogers next season.
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